Slopes
by onekisstotakewithmex
Summary: Gibbs surprises Kate with an impromptu ski weekend at the beginning of February, with a little help from an old friend. Kibbs, #3 in the "With You, Every Day is a Holiday" series.
1. Chapter 1

Kate was jittery, bouncing in her seat the whole ride from the airport to the resort. Only the sight of Gibbs, sitting beside her, kept the smile from spreading across her face. And even then, it was hard.

It was a Friday night, and Gibbs, being uncharacteristically romantic, had surprised her with plane tickets. He'd scrawled on a post-it note, and attached it to her boarding pass.

 _Ski vacation. Clothes optional. XO, LJ._

She'd been so excited since then. She hadn't skied in a good ten years, but the idea of a secretive romantic getaway gave the whole adventure an extra dose of sex appeal. And she had no doubts that it would be a good time.

"I still can't believe it!" She grinned at him, as they started the descent into the valley. The snowflakes were falling lightly outside.

"It helps that one of the top staff members happens to be a buddy of mine from the Corps."

"Really?"

"It's kinda hard to be romantic at such short notice," he teased, running a thumb over her hand, "Calm down Kate or you'll bounce right outta your seat."

"I'm sorry Gibbs, I'm just excited. I don't remember the last time I went skiing."

He nudged her shoulder with his, "Should be fun, hey?"

"Should be? More like will be. Do you have any idea what our room looks like?"

"I have some ideas, yeah." She was worried somewhat by the secretive smirk spreading across his face.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, what did you do? Nothing too extravagant, right?"

He held up his hand in surrender, "I make no promises, Katie."

"Infuriating."

"Now that's nothing to say to the man facilitatin' your skiing weekend."

"Bastard." She mumbled. "Remind me again why I agreed?"

He leaned in, staring into her eyes, his gaze enough to melt her even when he wasn't touching her, and smirked, "If I recall, I was very persuasive."

She grinned, and then looked over Gibbs shoulder, her mouth dropping open. "Oh."

He turned to see the valley all lit up, the snow swirling through the air, the hills looking fresh with snow, the lodge all lit up with welcoming light.

He kissed her temple, relieved that she was so in awe of the sight before her. "So, still mad at me?"

"Forgiven," she breathed, her face practically up against the window, and he was sure the car company would have something to say if there were the prints of someone's lips all over their windows. At the same time though, he couldn't care less, because seeing Kate excited made it worth it.

"Are we going to ski tonight?" he asked, even though he knew she wasn't paying attention. "Or would ya rather stay in?"

"You'd rather sit in a hotel room instead of being out _there_?" Kate asked, incredulous as she turned back to him. He could see the spark in her eyes, and knew what his answer would be.

"'Course not. I'm asking _you._ Since I value your opinion."

"Clever." She rolled her eyes as they pulled up in front of the lodge, "C'mon let's go check in and then we'll hit the slopes!"

"Sounds good to me," he smiled as he followed her out of the car.

They stepped into the lobby, staring up at the cathedral ceilings and Gibbs noticed how Kate was grinning at it all. Seeing how excited she was only made him smile more.

"Gunny!"

Gibbs and Kate both turned, to see a man, roughly Gibbs' age or a few years older. His hair was dark, though shot with grey at the temples. He was a tall, wiry man, with an infectious grin. Kate smiled, seeing him walking towards them.

"Hiya Teddy," Gibbs held out a hand, but the man pulled him into a hug. Gibbs hugged him back, and when he pulled away, Teddy turned to her, "Well Gunny, aren't you gonna introduce me to this lovely lady?"

"Of course, Teddy, this is Caitlin Todd. Kate, this is Theodore Bernard."

He held out a hand, and she took it. "Pleasure's all mine, Kate. Although I should warn you, if you're around us Marines for too long, you might feel like the Todd one out." He chuckled at his own joke, as Gibbs rolled his eyes. Kate started giggling, noticing Gibbs' reaction.

"Teddy, can ya not scare her off when she's just got here?"

"Ah don't worry Gibbs, if she liked you enough to come to a frozen wasteland for a weekend, then I think she's yours. Tell me, Miss Caitlin, how long have you been around my good buddy Leroy?"

" _Leroy,_ huh?" she turned to him.

"Teddy, do ya value your balls?"

"That's no way to talk around a lady," Teddy wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulder, "Get the bags, Leroy, while I show this lovely lady to your room."

"She's not actually a lady!" Gibbs called as they walked away, and Kate winked at him over her shoulder. "She grows her own balls! Ask her!"

Teddy chuckled as they rounded a corner, out of sight of the lobby, and marching into the elevator. "Ah, grow your own, huh? Well I know Leroy likes that in a woman." Kate could tell he was giving her the once-over, and it wasn't as though she minded. After all, this was clearly an old friend of Gibbs. She wouldn't mind making a good impression. "I know _I_ like that in a woman. Must be why the woman don't like me."

"All those balls cause too much chafing?" Kate asked, sarcastically, before cringing as she realized she'd spoken aloud.

Teddy stared at her for a second, brow furrowed, before starting to laugh. Loudly. Just as the door opened, thus attracting the attention of nearby patrons of the ski resort. "That's funny, Todd. Anyway, your room is right up ahead, room 424." He held out the room key. "All yours, Todd. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

"If you see Gibbs, can you tell him what room we're in?" Kate asked.

Teddy smirked as he walked away, "I'll tell him. Enjoy the surprise!"

Kate unlocked the door, and then gasped. The room was gorgeous, and how had Gibbs kept all of this a secret? There was a fireplace, a kitchen, and a winding staircase leading up to their bedroom. There was already a fire crackling in the grate, and she sat down on the edge of the couch, staring out into the valley, where the lights were glimmering off the snow. While part of her wanted to get out there, and be on the slopes, the other part wanted nothing more than to grab some food and sink into bed with Gibbs, and in his own words, clothing was optional. She stood and jogged up the stairs to the loft bedroom, and opened the door to the bathroom. A tub that was sunken into the floor greeted her, with a luxuriously spacious bathroom. Her entire bedroom in her apartment could probably fit into this bathroom. Where had Gibbs found the money for this?

She grinned at the bed, and walked out the French doors, finding a hot tub. She narrowed her eyes, shivering at the chilly wind blowing. It was cold, sure, and snowing like hell, but… wow. She heard the door slam downstairs, and Gibbs call out in greeting. She walked back in, closing the doors on the weather.

"Katie?" he called, and she leaned on the railing of the staircase.

"Right here, Gunny."

He stared up at her, "So, do you like it?"

"Like it? _Like_ it? It's… wow, Gibbs. It's amazing."

He grinned, and looked almost embarrassed, which she would definitely tease him about later, but for now… "What exactly did you do for Teddy that merits _this_?"

"He invited us to dinner in an hour, so I guess you'll find out."

"An hour you say?" she asked, smirking as she grinned down at him.

"Kate, I know what you're thinking…" he said threateningly. "But…"

"Oh Gibbs, don't tell me that in your old age, it'll take you an entire hour to make love to me. I would find that so disappointing." She knew that taunting him would probably get her in trouble- if she was lucky- but couldn't resist.

And then he was bounding up the stairs towards her, taking them two at a time, and suddenly he was right in front of her, panting and grinning down at her with a predatory smirk, before pushing her up against the wall, his lips on hers. The kiss was fierce, but brief, and it left her breathless.

He had her pinned against the wall, and he simply smirked down at her, "Not bad for an old man, huh?"

"I think…" she took a second to gather her thoughts, "I think you need to do that again, old timer."

He smirked down at her, "Oh trust me… Katie. You're gonna get in trouble for callin' me old."

"Try me, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Just try me."

"Oh no, I don't intend to try ya, Katie. I intend to tease ya, and torment ya, and use ya up completely so that by the end ya won't have enough breath to say anything but my name."

Her eyes dropped to his lips, and she leaned back in, brushing her lips against his briefly, "I think I can handle you."

"I know ya can. And that's why I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate turned to him, halfway through buttoning up her shirt. "So what's the plan, LJ?"

"Well, Todd," he turned to her with a smirk on his lips, "We're goin' over to the main lodge and meetin' Teddy for dinner. His treat, he insisted." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Might wanna do something with your hair, though."

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask," he grinned, "Ya know I'll say it's beautiful-looking, but it might leave room for… questions."

She took a look in the mirror and shrieked. "Gibbs it looks like-,"

"Well like ya stuck a fork in an outlet."

She glared, "You are _so_ not helping."

"Sorry sweet pea. We don't got a lotta time, and have to meet Teddy soon. You gonna be okay?"

She ran a hand over her hair, "Might as well own it."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Ya know, Katie, if you're worried, he already likes ya."

"How do you know?"

"Because when I was carrying in the bags, he came up and told me that any woman with as much balls as you is worth keeping and you decide you're too good for my sorry ass, then he's available, and more talkative, and willin' to replace me."

"He said all that?"

"There were a lot of bags to carry. He does like ya, Kate. Especially when ya made that comment about… ah… _chafing_." He was barely managing to keep the smile off his face, but it was clearly a struggle. She loved seeing the smile on his face, and was so thrilled that she was the one who'd put it there.

"If he asks," Kate replied, trying to flatten her hair, and failing, "It's the humidity."

"It's winter," Gibbs pointed out.

"It's the static." She said.

"He's not gonna comment, he's got more tact than that."

She fixed him with a look, and sighing, he draped a scarf around her neck, opening the door, "Let's go. And wear that, it's chilly out."

"Yes _mother-_ oh my god, Gibbs, it's beautiful." He'd draped a blue plaid scarf that she'd never seen before around her neck, and it was almost identical to a scarf she knew he owned- she stole it frequently.

"Since you never seem to have your own." He grinned.

"Thank you Gibbs," she smiled down at it, and then frowned at his back, "You're spoiling me."

"Why are ya complaining about it?"

She frowned, frustrated, "Do you ever spend money on yourself?"

"Why should I when I've got you?"

"I don't need spoiling," she rolled her eyes, but took his arm anyway, as they set off to the main lodge.

"Now see, I disagree. C'mon, Kate, let's grab some food. You must be hungry."

"Oh yes," she smiled innocently up at him, "I worked up quite the appetite."

"Ya worked something," he said, and it was his turn to roll his eyes. She punched him in the shoulder, and he grabbed her hand neatly, intercepting a second blow.

"Tsk tsk, not nice."

"Bite me."

His eyes darkened, "Ordinarily I'd say yes but-,"

"Gibbs!"

They got into the elevator, and she leaned against the wall, smirking. "You know Gibbs, someday this flippant attitude is going to come back and bite you in the ass."

He smirked down at her, taking her face in his hands, "If I'm really lucky."

"Pervert."

"Does it bother you?"

"No, what bothers me is that it _doesn't_ bother me!"

"Not like I never warned you," he grinned. "Boss, bastard. I did warn ya."

"Well, ask my mother, I'm a rebel."

"If ya didn't notice, I like that about ya." He leaned in and kissed her, pulling away with a smile as the doors opened into the lobby. He stepped away, and they walked out, heading into the chilly wind and blowing snow to walk over to the main lodge.

There was some snow on the walkways, but no ice, and as they walked, bent into the swirling snow, Gibbs took Kate's hand in his, and squeezed it. Kate concealed a smile, awed at the fact that here they were, in a very public setting, and Gibbs was willing to hold her hand.

Gibbs hurried ahead, finally breaking the contact, and opened the door for her. She followed him in, and then stopped dead when she saw the goofy smile spreading across his face. "Gibbs, what's gotten into you?"

The laugh lines around his eyes deepened, as he smiled down at her, "You have snowflakes in your hair, Katie," he brushed a few away, and smiled, "Lookin' like a goddess of some kind."

"Flatterer."

"I take it as a compliment," Gibbs strutted ahead, before pausing, just to make sure she actually was still with him.

"I must've said it wrong," she replied shortly, catching up to him. He opened the door to the restaurant, and grinned down at her.

"You're cute when you're mad."

"And I still know the right way to castrate you with just the right amount of force, so try and take me seriously, hmmm dear?" She patted him on the face as she walked past.

"Sure thing sweet pea." He followed her in.

"Gibbs!"

Kate and Gibbs both turned to see Teddy waving at them from a corner table. He grinned as they approached.

"Evenin' Ted." Gibbs pulled out Kate's chair, and sat down beside her.

"How's the weather out?" Teddy asked, as Kate pulled off the new scarf.

"Snowy, windy, you name it."

"I'd say, your lady looks pretty windswept."

Kate flushed a bright red, and grinned sheepishly at Gibbs.

"Well y'know, we're both outta practice at this skiin' thing. I went down a few times, and so did she."

"Ah, went down hard did you?" Teddy asked, a slight smile on his lips. "Well we'd better get you full of food so you have energy for more."

"Ah," Gibbs passed Kate a menu, "She's got quite the appetite, Ted."

"Good thing it's my treat."

A server came by, interrupting the conversation, and Teddy took hold, "This gentleman and I will have bourbon… and the lady?"

"Bourbon for me too," Kate smiled.

"Excellent. And then we're gonna get mozzarella sticks and calamari, to start."

"Whatever you say, Teddy," the server took off.

"Calamari?" Gibbs asked, unimpressed. "Whatever happened to burgers?"

"Oh, my dear sweet Leroy, you need to get out of that basement more. Culture, my dear, is a wonderful thing. And you, Miss Caitlin, it's your job to educate the man."

"Oh trust me, bein' with her has been a real eye-opener," Gibbs mumbled as their drinks arrived.

Kate snorted into her bourbon. Gibbs wordlessly handed her a napkin, and as she set it back down, she looked between Teddy and Gibbs, "How the hell-."

"Well as you know, Gibbs is an inner romantic who loves nothing more than long walks on the beach-,"

"Only if there's a body on the beach," Gibbs interjected.

"And reading-,"

"Only if the reading materials are case files," Gibbs cut him off again.

"We trained together." Teddy finished.

"That's it?" Kate asked, somewhat let down. "You trained together, and somehow _that_ was enough for you to get us the nicest room possible, _and_ buy us dinner? I'm sensing there's more it than that."

"Patience, my dear." Gibbs said, clearly in an attempt to mock Teddy. Kate grinned to herself, as Teddy flipped him off.

"Honestly," Teddy said, shaking his head mournfully, "I don't know how this old junker ever landed a bright young thing like you."

"This _old_ junker could always kick your ass," Gibbs said through gritted teeth.

"And save it." Teddy held up his bourbon.

"Now things are getting interesting," Kate shook her head.

"It was a training mission gone wrong. Gibbs and I- you know he wasn't born with grey hair- were paired up, and I was more intimidated than anything, because this guy- I'm telling you, he was one of the best guys in the Corps. He could-,"

"Oh get on with it, Teddy." Gibbs was rolling his eyes.

"So this guy could squash my balls into oblivion," his eyes lit up with the joke, "And somehow I get paired up with him on a training mission. But some joker thought it would be funny to mess with our supplies."

"Okay…" Kate was watching Gibbs as Teddy talked.

"They dropped us in the middle of the bush, with just the supplies and the clothes on our backs. And someone had messed with our supplies. And by messed with, I mean they took most of our supplies. Left us alone in the bush, three days' walk from our meeting point."

"Coulda been worse," Gibbs shrugged.

"No, I'm not at the best part. I got hurt, went down the wrong way and twisted my knee. There was no way that I was gonna be walking on it, y'know? It was bad. And whatever asshole took our stuff- they took our first aid kit. No painkillers or anything. Just me, and Gibbs and three days of walking that I couldn't do."

"So what happened?" Kate asked, grinning at them.

"Well one of the goals of the mission was make it back within three days. Good old Leroy told me he wasn't going anywhere. And he carried me back to the checkpoint. We made it in two and a half days. Barely slept. He just kept going. He'd never leave a team mate behind."

Kate smiled at Gibbs, and he reached over under the table, taking her hand, their interlinked hands resting on her thigh. "I know he wouldn't."

"And that was when I knew _he_ was cut out to be a Marine. Me? Not so much."

"And ya still stayed in the Corps. I was sure you were gonna quit after that."

"And that's the end of the story?"

"Not even close." Teddy grinned at him, "My daughter's middle name is technically after him. Without him I wouldn't have lived long enough to meet my wife-,"

"Bullshit, you weren't gonna die from a twisted knee."

"I would've died if you'd just left me to go find help."

"Don't leave a brother behind. Never have, never will."

"You have a daughter?" Kate asked, smiling across the table at Teddy.

"Yeah, my daughter Jamie, she's in her first year at Harvard."

Gibbs emitted a low whistle, "Harvard?"

"She wanted to go into the Corps, but I told her if she wanted that, she was going to school first. Especially since she got into Harvard."

"And how's Marcy?" Gibbs asked, taking a sip of his bourbon.

Teddy's hand shook a bit as he picked up his bourbon. "Ah, you know, Gibbs, how sometimes shit happens."

"What happened, Teddy?"

"My neighbor." He said sarcastically. "Or more specifically my neighbor's dick."

Gibbs winced, "Sorry to hear it, Ted. Really."

"Divorce is a bitch ain't it?"

"Alimony's no fun," he agreed. "So how's Jamie handling everything?"

"Insisted she wanted to live with me. So she does when she's not at school."

"Always was a daddy's girl," Gibbs agreed. "God, I haven't seen her in forever."

"She asks about her Uncle Leroy sometimes. I'm sure she'd love to see you sometime. I'll invite you on her school break."

"Sounds good to me."

"The Missus is invited too," Teddy held up his glass of bourbon, toasting Kate with a smile. "So how'd he talk you into dating him, Kate?"

"He smiled."

"Ah yeah, probably batted those big ol' baby blues at you, and won you over completely."

"Not quite. More like she threatened to shoot me, and told me she grew her own balls." Gibbs cut in with a wink at Kate.

Teddy started chuckling, "How exactly did the two of you meet?"

"Well, Kate here," Gibbs smiled, "Used to protect the President."

"Until this bastard worked his way into my investigation."

"It was _my_ investigation." Gibbs held a hand to his chest, mock-offended. "I let you stick around even when you nearly puked all over my evidence." He put on a falsetto, and batted his eyes at her, "You gonna lecture me about sleeping with my coworkers?"

"No," she snarked back, sticking her tongue out at him. "And it was only _your_ investigation because you threatened to hijack Air Force One."

"Actually I threatened to hijack Alpha Foxtrot 29000."

Teddy was grinning between the two of them, "Are you always like this?"

Gibbs turned to him, "Always like _what_?"

"God, Gibbs, you're the luckiest bastard I know, with a firecracker like this one," Teddy gestured with his bourbon.

Gibbs turned to Kate and kissed her forehead gently, before smiling at Teddy, his voice full of feeling, "I know."

 **XNCISX**

The moonlight was coming through the window, and casting light on the bed. Not enough to be disruptive, but just enough light to see by. Kate was lying next to Gibbs, and she knew he was awake, even though they weren't talking. But she was watching him, smiling to herself.

"You got somethin' to say, Kate?" he asked, turning his head.

She reached for his hand, as she moved in closer, "It was really nice to meet Teddy."

"He does really like you," Gibbs agreed.

"If I can ask-,"

"You can, but I don't think it woulda stopped you if I'd said no."

"What did he say to you, when I was getting ready to leave? It looked serious."

She felt, rather than saw him laugh, a sharp intake of breath, as he pulled her into his arms. Slowly she relaxed into the warmth of his embrace.

"Well, Katie, it's a little embarrassing."

"Nothing can be more embarrassing than him calling me Tater Todd."

He laughed, "Ya gotta admit, that was kinda funny."

"Only a little," she ran a hand over his chest, feeling the rise and fall as he breathed.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. But stop, that tickles."

She smiled to herself, "I've got you whipped."

"Uh huh. Now shush, I was gonna tell you what Teddy said."

"I'm all ears."

"He said if I was dumb enough to let ya go, then I wasn't smart enough to deserve ya in the first place."

"And?"

"I agreed of course. Because if I've got this to look forward to from now on- if I have this, and you, then he's right. I _woul_ d be a fool to let you go."

She reached up and kissed him, before leaning her head on his chest, "You better _not_ let me go."

"Not a chance," he kissed her forehead, "Get some sleep, Katie."


	3. Chapter 3

In winter, what's the best way to get someone alone to talk to them? Trapping them on a ski lift is one way.

"Gibbs," she tried to move closer to him, but was stopped from doing so by the bulky skis attached to her feet. Her eyes were watering in the bitterly cold wind whipping through the valley.

"You alright there, Katie? Not too cold?" he asked, smiling at her through his ski goggles.

"Fine. Probably don't look very nice at the moment, but fine. A little chilly."

"Well I did warn ya- we're used to taking _heat,_ not cold. And Katie? I've seen ya in all kinds of gear. And you can make the evidence jumpsuits look flattering."

She snorted, "Oh yes, that's _quite_ the gift."

He rolled his eyes.

"So Gibbs," she nudged his shoulder, "Now that you've got me alone, what'll you do with me?"

He eyed her, "Push you down the mountain maybe if ya keep flirtin'."

"Rude."

"Katie, is there somethin' you're trying to tell me?"

"Only that I'm racing you down the mountain," she warned, with8 a grin.

"I'll win."

"Hah! Your skis better be greased if you want to get down the hill faster than me, you old fart."

"Watch your tone, young lady. I don't tolerate disrespect." He was clearly fighting to keep the smile off his face. "And my skis are better than yours any day."

"Lies."

"How about we have a little reward?"

"Mm I'm in." Kate grinned.

"Winner gets to pick what we do tonight."

"We're not skiing some more? I thought that was the point of this whole weekend."

"The point of this weekend was to get ya away from DC, Katie, and have my way with ya."

"Well you've done that," she replied, her voice dry, "Multiple times."

"Were ya keepin' a tally, or something?"

"No, but let's just say I have a very good memory." A smirk followed that, and then Kate lifted the bar, "Ready to race, old timer?"

"If I die because of this, I'm suin'."

"I know a good lawyer," Kate blew a kiss, "Get ready to have your ass kicked, Agent Gibbs."

"Not on your life, Agent Todd." He followed after her with a chuckle, before they both stopped short, staring down the valley, through the whirling snowflakes, the lodge lit up like a birthday cake in the middle of the valley. It was gorgeous. He turned to Kate, to comment on it, only to see she'd already taken off. "Kate!"

"Meet you at the bottom!" He heard her call.

 **XNCISX**

Gibbs had gone to get their dinner from the restaurant, while Kate, having shed only her coat and ski pants, went and collapsed on the couch. Every muscle hurt, including muscles she hadn't known she had. She would gladly pass out right there on the couch. She'd won their little race, which meant that she had the privilege of deciding exactly what they'd be doing that evening.

Sleep was on her agenda. A nice bath, and then sleeping. Her shoulders were aching so badly, she didn't particularly care if Gibbs came back or not. In fact, she could probably fall asleep right there on the couch, still wearing her hat, and the scarf Gibbs had given her. She yawned, her eyes sliding shut. She couldn't even find the strength to get up and build a fire in the fireplace, or change into pajamas.

"Katie?"

She sat up, groaning in pain, and rubbing at her eyes, "What is it Gibbs?"

He was staring at her, she noticed, one eyebrow raised. "Did I wake you up?"

"I think so." She stifled a yawn. "Sorry."

He moved and sat down next to her, "You don't need to apologize Katie. I can see you're worn out."

"That isn't the half of it," she stretched again, wincing at the pain shooting through her shoulders. "Worn out and sore, like you couldn't believe. Well," she eyed him. "I'm sure you could."

"Yeah, Katie, I know all about aches and pains."

"I'm not talking about blue balls here, y'know."

"I'm insulted that ya think that little of me. I'm a former Marine, Katie. Trust me, I know about aches and pains."

"Mmm," she sighed, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Gibbs I don't know what you're planning but…"

"Someone's gotta work the knots outta your shoulders, Katie, and it ain't gonna be you."

"I'm supposed to trust you?" she asked, lazily.

"That's the general idea, considerin' I'm your boyfriend."

"Fine, Gibbs, what do you suggest?"

"I'm gonna work the knots out, and then you're gonna take a bath. After that, bed. That's an order."

She leaned into him, "Did I mention I love it when you order me around?"

"Agent Todd, it's an order, ya got that?"

"Yes Special Agent Gibbs. I hear you, loud and clear."

"I'll fix your shoulders, but first, we're gonna eat. What did you want?"

She smiled, "Didn't I tell you I wanted mozzarella sticks?"

"Mozzarella sticks aren't a meal, Katie."

"Just hand them over. If I'd wanted a parent along, I'd have invited my dad."

He grinned, and handed her the takeout container. "Careful, they're hot."

She opened the lid just to check that he'd gotten what she'd asked for, and smiled at the sight of her fresh mozzarella sticks. "Oh these look amazing. Did you see Teddy?"

"He offered to drop by," Gibbs commented. "In fact, he mentioned bringing around a couple of beers."

"What did you say?" she asked, picking up one of the mozzarella sticks, before dropping it with a cry of pain, and sticking her finger in her mouth. She was certain she'd burned it.

He made an _I-told-you-so_ face at her, and then smiled, "Then he offered that maybe we could get together for breakfast tomorrow morning."

She shot a suspicious look his way, "And you said?" While Kate could be a morning person, she refused to be when she didn't have to. She was also suspecting that she wouldn't be able to move the next day.

"I suggested brunch. Mentioned that you'd probably be tired after skiing all day today. He sorta winked at me," Gibbs ran a hand through his hair, not meeting her eye, a sure sign that he was embarrassed. "I think he was implying that I'd be keepin' ya up all night."

"If you try and keep me up all night _tonight_ , I will shoot you."

"You came on this trip unarmed," he smiled at his own smarts, and witty comeback.

"I'll find a way."

"Is that a threat, Agent Todd, after I bought ya dinner?"

She bit into one of her mozzarella sticks, and sighed with pleasure, "I can't be bought, Agent Gibbs. And I guess the dinner you bought is edible."

"Really, because that," he gestured at her, eating her dinner, "Is a face I've seen before. Only it's usually _me_ doing the eating."

She made a face, her cheeks turning pink. "Oh my God, Gibbs."

"That's what ya said last night, too."

"Gibbs." She threw one of her mozzarella sticks at him.

He dodged it, "Now that's just wasteful."

"Well don't worry, the rest are mine."

"Not gonna share?" he asked, grinning.

She smiled back, biting into another mozzarella stick, "Nope, these are all mine. If you want one, you can eat that one off the floor."

"I don't know where it's been, I'm not eating it off the floor."

She pointed a mozzarella stick at him, "You don't know where _I've_ been, and you still eat me. On a regular basis, I might add."

"That's different."

"Why?" she asked, pulling the box away as he tried to grab one.

"Because," he grinned, and kissed the top of her head, "You're a lot more delicious. Now once you're done with your mozzarella sticks, I'm gonna give ya a massage. So take off your shirt."

"This sounds like an effort to get into my pants."

"I said your _shirt,"_ he said pointedly, finally succeeding in grabbing a mozzarella stick. "Not your pants. So off with the sweater and shirt."

"Well Gibbs, if your goal was to peel me out of each of my layers, I'm sorry to disappoint." She finished the mozzarella sticks and set the box down on the coffee table. "You want my shirt off."

"Easier to work with," he shrugged.

"Is it?"

"Kate, honest to god, I'm trying to help ya here. I can see you're in pain. I want to help."

"What's in it for you?"

"Nothin'. Which reminds me. Ya won our little race today, which means we can do whatever you want to do."

"Well you know…" A flash of inspiration came to her, and a slow smile spread across her face. "I do believe that the tub in the bathroom is big enough for two. And there was an _awfully_ big bottle of bubble bath in there too…"

"I'm not takin' a bubble bath, Katie." He warned.

She batted her eyelashes at him, "Now Jethro Gibbs, I do believe you said the winner gets to decide… and if I recall… I won."

"Kate," he warned, "I told ya-,"

"I'm pulling rank."

"You're a lower rank than me."

She snorted, "Gibbs sweetie, when I'm the winner, I never let you forget. Plus I mean, you win too."

"Why's that?" he grumped.

"You get to see me naked," she said sweetly.

"Nothin' I haven't seen before."

"Sore loser," she kissed him briefly.

"I'm not the sore one," he raised an eyebrow, "But I'm tempted to rescind my offer of help."

"Ooh, you're _tempted to rescind,_ nice big words there Professor Gibbs."

"I'd make a great professor." He actually sounded offended at that.

"Yeah except for the part where you'd probably be sued for assaulting your students on a daily basis."

"Just get undressed, Katie. And please don't pick this as the time to tell me you have a professor kink."

"Nope," she said, pulling her sweater over her head, wisps of her hair sticking up from the static. He smiled at the sight and his smile grew, as the shirt followed it, to be tossed on the floor beside the couch. "Not unless they're _really hot._ "

"So you'd like me if I was a professor?" he asked, as she rolled over, tugging her braid out of the way.

"I'll never tell," she said sleepily.

He started massaging her shoulders, and nearly paused when he heard a gasp of pain. But a second later, it turned into a sound of pleasure as he worked at the particularly vicious knot. "You good, Katie?"

"If you were a professor…" she yawned, "I'd _definitely_ be attracted to you."

"Thanks… I think."

 **XNCISX**

Kate was somehow moving under her own steam, heading for the stairs to go draw their bubble bath- of course she'd won out over Gibbs, he could be such a softie when it came to her.

There was a knock on the door, and Gibbs, who was so used to having a weapon on him, assessed the scene in front of him. The empty takeout boxes were on the coffee table, and incriminatingly enough, there were Kate's shirt and sweater, discarded on the floor. He'd brought her down the skimpy white dressing gown she usually wore around the house on weekends, and that she'd somehow brought with her, just so she wasn't walking around naked. They hadn't quite reached that point in the relationship, comfortable as they were with each other.

He felt more married to her than he'd been with any of his four wives… and they had been dating barely a month.

He picked up the shirt and sweater, before going over to the door, hanging them on the coat rack right by the door. He opened it, only to find Teddy.

"Did I not tell ya _no_ to the beers?"

Teddy blinked and grinned, "What a welcome! I am well aware you said no to the beers-,"

"But ya decided to come anyway?"

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. Is Tater Todd sleeping?"

"Running a bath. She's worn out."

"I'm sure," Teddy said pointedly, "Well, I was telling our pastry chef, Brielle, all about you and Kate, and she insisted that I bring you these." He held out a bakery box. "Courtesy of Chef Brielle."

"What are they?"

"Gee," Teddy grinned, "A box from a pastry chef, I _wonder._ "

"Pastries. Thanks Teddy. Appreciate it."

"You better, I don't do this kinda stuff for everyone, Leroy."

"Ted, really, this is all too much," Gibbs grinned, "So I'm buying brunch tomorrow. A full brunch, for all of us, at eleven tomorrow morning. Can you get us a table?"

"Sure. And I'm not letting you pay for brunch for the three of us!"

"You'll have to," Gibbs smiled, "it's not an option, Ted."

"Fine." Teddy turned, "Enjoy your evening."

"You too Ted. And thank you. Again."

"Anything for you and the Missus." Teddy smiled, and walked away.

Gibbs carried the pastry boxes upstairs, wondering if there was any way he could get out of taking a bubble bath. Sitting in cold bath water wasn't his idea of a good time.

And then he opened the bathroom door, only to find Kate already sitting in the tub. Mesmerized, he took a step forward, taking in the bubbles, and the dim lighting, and the flickering candles along the edge of the sunken bathtub. Kate's form was hidden by all the bubbles, and her hair was pinned up. She turned and smiled at him, the smile that dug through the six thousand layers right to his heart, the way she always did. "What do you have there?"

"Pastries, courtesy of-,"

"Teddy," she interrupted, smiling.

"Teddy," he agreed.

"Well soldier, what are you waiting for? Strip."

He set down the pastry box by the edge of the tub, and shed his clothes, kicking them towards the door, before walking over to her, with a smile on his lips. He sunk into the water, wincing at the heat of the water, and the protesting of his tired muscles.

Kate settled onto his lap, adding more warmth against his skin, she leaned her head back on his shoulder, staring up at the ceiling. He wondered what she was thinking, and didn't have to wonder for too long, because the next moment, she spoke.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Katie, what is it?"

"Thank you."

"What are ya thanking me for?" He yawned himself, feeling Kate relaxed against him, and realized that bubble baths weren't as bad as he'd initially thought.

"I'm thanking you for this. This weekend. The skiing, the getting away from DC."

"Katie, I know… I know it's only been a month."

"Uh oh," she murmured, "This doesn't sound like a good start."

"Hush, I'm tryin' to be romantic."

"It's working," she teased. He administered a pinch to her butt, making her squirm on top of him, "Gibbs!"

"Can ya let me talk?"

"Yes, I guess I can."

"I love you, Katie. I know that now. Knew it from the day I met ya."

"I love you too, Jethro." Her voice was soft.

"I wanted to give ya a gift, I wanted to get away for the weekend, just the two of us."

"Gibbs?" she turned so they were looking into each other's eyes, "You know that I don't care about big romantic gestures right?"

"Yeah, I know. But I still want to spoil ya, and treat ya to things…" He trailed off.

"I appreciate the big gestures, but Gibbs… I just need you. No big gestures, no big gifts… Just me and you. Together." She reached through the water, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

He leaned down and kissed her, "You always know the right thing to say."

"Well now, Gibbs, I think that this has been a success, don't you?"

"Katie?"

"Yes?"

"If I loved ya any more, I think my heart might burst."

Her smile was the brightest thing in the room, and she turned around, so she was sitting and facing him, "Well don't do anything that's bad for your health."

"Yes, Katie, but if you're bad for my health, all I gotta say is… I'll die a happy man." He leaned in and kissed her again.


End file.
